Engineered hardwood flooring

Engineered Wood Flooring

Have you ever heard of engineered hardwood flooring? You might’ve walked on it before and mistook it for real hardwood. While engineered hardwood is meant to look just like real hardwood, there are some differences that are worth taking note of.

Layering

Think of engineered hardwood flooring as a combination of real hardwood and laminate flooring. It’s layered like laminate flooring, and it looks just like real hardwood flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring takes the best qualities from laminate and real hardwood flooring to create one high-quality flooring option.

In each plank of engineered hardwood there is a layer of moisture-resistant wood, real hardwood as the top layer, and more layers of plywood in between. The top layer of real hardwood is typically topped with at least five polyurethane-base coats to properly guard it against wearing down.

The layer of engineered hardwood that’s moisture-resistant makes the flooring type unique in that homeowners can have the flooring installed in places where real hardwood can’t be, such as kitchens. Additionally, its multi-layer composition prevents the planks from expanding due to moisture absorption—a weakness of real hardwood flooring.

Durability

Engineered hardwood lasts for quite a while. It typically comes with a 30-year guarantee. It’s similar to real hardwood in it’s hardness, and it’s multi-layer composition is able to properly prevent scratching and other damage.

As we mentioned earlier, you have more flexibility with engineered hardwood flooring than you do with real hardwood flooring. While hardwood can be used in kitchens and/or bathrooms, not common because it can be quite a risky choice of flooring for the rooms. The risk is minimal with engineered hardwood flooring, so it’s a better option for such rooms.

Maintenance

All you’ll need to maintain engineered hardwood flooring is a damp mop and a vacuum. Unlike with real hardwood, you won’t have to worry about mopping your engineered hardwood floors. Just mop once or twice a week to keep your flooring in perfect condition. Vacuuming is also useful, but shouldn’t be done to often since bristles can cause scratching.

Just like with hardwood, you should clean up as soon as possible. There’s definitely more leniency, but moisture still seep into the surface of engineered hardwood flooring after a while.

Price

Engineered hardwood flooring ranges from $4-$15 per square foot. The price range is similar to, but slightly lower than, that of hardwood. Engineered hardwood flooring also costs less to install, since where’s no sealing needed.

The downside to engineered hardwood flooring is that it can only be refinished one or two times. The reason for this is that the top layer is quite thin. Make sure to speak with an expert before having your engineered hardwood flooring refinished.

Versatility

Even with all the extra qualities that engineered hardwood flooring has, the fact that it looks the same as real hardwood flooring puts it above other options. Consider all of its benefits – you really can’t go wrong with engineered hardwood flooring.

You have a large variety of options to choose from. Any type of wood that can be used as flooring can also be used as engineered hardwood flooring!

If you’re interested in engineered hardwood flooring, Floors BLVD can help you out with purchase and installation. Our experts will complete a free estimate and install your new flooring perfectly. If you’re not quite sold on engineered hardwood flooring just yet, we’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have. Call Floors BLVD today at (469) 535-9246 to make it happen! Also, check out our blog for more helpful flooring and home remodeling information.